RiverÌýFrank
River M. Frank is a Deaf faculty member at Ä¢¹½Ó°Òô Boulder focused on American Sign Language, media studies and film. Their work explores how visual storytelling shapes cultural understanding of Deafness, focusing on representation, accessibility and the evolving ways Deaf communities communicate in modern media. River teaches ASL courses and has developed new courses that expand the program's engagement with Deaf culture, media and film, emphasizing visual language acquisition, cultural competency and ethical communication. Their teaching style centers curiosity, cultural humility, and building bridges between Deaf and hearing students. River's commitment to humanitarian work began in childhood and grew through their years as a student ambassador with People to People, sparking a lifelong dedication to global connection and inclusive community building. Outside of academia, they enjoy volunteering, spending time outdoors, reading and hanging out with their rescue dog, Bumi.